The Andhra Pradesh government has directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to investigate an alleged procurement scam in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), the body that manages the famed Tirumala Mandir. The controversy centres on Pattu Sariga dupattas, ceremonial silk shawls presented to donors, Veda Aseervachanam participants, and visiting dignitaries during special darshan.
According to TTD, a supplier has been defrauding the institution for nearly a decade by supplying polyester dupattas while billing them as pure mulberry silk, resulting in estimated losses of Rs 54.95 crore. The issue came to light when the purchase committee reviewed a proposal to procure 21,600 silk dupattas.
Following the allegations, TTD chairman B.R. Naidu instructed the vigilance and security wing to verify whether previous consignments met tender specifications. The probe reportedly exposed large-scale malpractice carried out between 2015 and 2025. Officials found that the material supplied was of inferior quality and violated core tender requirements. They also learned that quality checks had been funnelled through a single institution in Kanchipuram, bypassing standard verification protocols.
“A shawl that costs about Rs 350 was being billed at Rs 1,300. The total supplies would amount to more than Rs 50 crore. We have asked for an ACB probe,” Naidu said.
Samples were collected from the Vaibhavotsava Mandapam in Tirumala and the TTD storehouse in Tirupati, then sent to the Central Silk Board laboratories in Bengaluru and Dharmavaram for official verification. Test results confirmed that the shawls were made entirely of polyester. Investigators also found that mandatory holograms had been forged, and the traditional Sankhu, Chakra, and Namam imprints were missing. After reviewing the supplier’s transactions, the TTD vigilance wing submitted detailed reports to the board.
The investigation revealed that VRS Export, based in Nagari in Tirupati district, along with its sister firms, has been supplying TTD with silk shawls for nearly a decade, at times routing consignments through companies operated by relatives. A case worker linked to the procurement chain had been transferred but never reported to the new posting.
During the same period, the company was also awarded a contract to supply an additional 15,000 dupattas at Rs 1,389 per piece. Vigilance officials now suspect that these, too, may have been made using polyester.
As per established specifications, each dupatta must be woven entirely from mulberry silk, using silk yarn of 31.5 denier and 20/22 denier for both warp and weft. The fabric should have 100 ends per inch and 80 picks per inch, measure 1 metre in width and 2.3 metres in length, and include a 2.5-inch border on both sides. Every dupatta must feature the Sanku, Chakra, and Namam symbols, with “Om Namo Venkatesaya” printed in Sanskrit on one side and in Telugu on the other. Specific standards relating to border design, weight, and overall size must also be met.
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